


Three Doors Down

by Karasuno Volleygays (ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Fluff, M/M, More Fluff, pretty bara men bonding over dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-06
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-03-27 16:35:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13884807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor/pseuds/Karasuno%20Volleygays
Summary: When Ushijima inherited a property that had seen better days, he found himself spending a lot of time and effort in a new part of town restoring the house to its former glory. However, he didn't expect a litter of puppies in a yard a few houses over to revive his spirit, as well.He certainly didn't anticipate their owner stirring something to life within him, either, but that was a development he didn't need much coaxing to get used to.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [beatboxbmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/beatboxbmo/gifts).



> Kat, this is all your fault.

Ushijima crossed his arms and stared at the house, the keys to the front door clenched in his fist, and frowned.

It had been a long time since he’d seen it, but he never remembered it looking so run-down. A small place ill-suited for a large family, the single-level traditional style house had belonged to his father before his parents married. That had been over twenty-five years before, and it showed.

Paint blistered from the siding and boards covered all the windows. Several of the roof tiles were cracked or missing altogether, which Ushijima didn’t suppose would bode well for the state of the insulation underneath. The grass had been fried so many times over the years that the overlong clumps looked like they had stopped growing a long while ago, and its sunburnt expanse was corralled by knee-high fencing that was missing in more places than it was intact.

By all rights, it should’ve been knocked down a decade before, as it was well past the age most houses found themselves on the business end of a wrecking ball. However, the architecture of it was constructed in a classically beautiful style, and if it was structurally sound, Ushijima had no intentions of having it demolished.

It wasn’t much to look at for the moment, but it was his.

Ushijima’s twentieth birthday had begun with a surprise visit from a lawyer, who had come calling at his mother’s house early that morning. The lawyer brandished documentation of an inheritance from his father that Ushijima hadn’t even known about, bestowing upon him the entirety of Utsui Takashi’s holdings in Japan. That included a little under ten million yen, shares in a few various businesses, and also the house.

He had left the stocks right where they were, as he had no need or desire to dive neck deep into something he didn’t know anything about, and about a third of the cash went to pay the inheritance taxes on the estate. That just left the house and six million to make it habitable.

With that, he rolled the keys around in his hand and headed up the front steps.

After four hours of painstaking perusal, the list of necessary renovations Ushijima had jotted down in his phone was a mile long. A few quick Google searches told him that paying someone to complete these tasks would cost more than he had, but he had a month before it was time to go back to college and he was going to spend it making this house livable.

Not willing to waste the amount of daylight he had on his side, Ushijima headed back toward the nearby bus stop to pay a visit to the home improvement store. However, when he passed by a fenced yard three houses down from his, Ushijima paused mid-step when he noticed a sound he hadn't had the privilege of hearing in a long while: puppies.

He knelt on the pavement, peering through the slats of the picket fence, and couldn't help but smile when he saw three tiny shiba inus scratching at the boards and welcoming him eagerly.

His attention thoroughly drawn to these spirited balls of fluff, Ushijima stuck his fingers through the fence and chuckled when a trio of tiny tongues greeted them. "Hey there," he murmured, using the scant amount of hand he could fit through to ruffle one of the puppies' ears with his fingers. "You're a good looking bunch."

One of them with sandy-colored fur yipped in agreement, and Ushijima scratched under its chin in reward. The other two were darker brown and black, respectively, and they trundled over to receive their share of affection. Tiny teeth nipped at his pinky, and Ushijima couldn't contain a grin.

"Well, I'm glad I have good neighbors," he said to them, pulling his hand away with great reluctance. He had a lot of work to do, but somehow, he thought he would be spending a lot more time visiting with who would indisputably be his favorite neighbors.

Three hours later and about half a million lighter in pocket, Ushijima headed back to his house. It took more willpower than he cared to admit not to drop by and greet the puppies down the street. However, his time was not his to waste at the moment, because a delivery truck was scheduled to arrive soon with his purchases.

Ten minutes earlier than anticipated, the truck arrived and the raw material to transform the house filed in through the front door. Most of the repairs were ones that required common sense, a lot of sweat, and the directions on the package; the rest were available on YouTube, though most of the ones he had found were in English, or best left up to a professional. Those he would save for later once he got himself on a roll and garnered a little extra practical knowledge.

It was sundown before Ushijima stowed his newly purchased tools in their also brand-new toolbox, and he could say with reasonable confidence that the roof was not going to leak or dissolve while he was away. Also, he had a working game plan for the next few days. All in all, he considered it a day well spent.

He lingered as he passed the Puppy House, but the yard was empty. Fighting off a stab of disappointment, Ushijima quickened his pace to the bus stop, eager to get back home and order a pizza he had every intention of polishing off by himself. Hard work and sweat were no stranger to him, but it was somehow more fulfilling when he would be able to reap the fruits of his labor for years to come.

The next few days were filled with long hours and more than a few smashed fingers, but Ushijima powered through it until he worked through a bulk of what he had purchased and had to return to the store to restock. This time, he didn't fight his urge to sit on the sidewalk next to the Puppy House's fence when he noticed that they were in the scampering around in the grass once again.

The light brown puppy, who he had deemed Suna, was the first to attack his fingers through the fence with glee. Choko and Kuro, the darker brown and black ones, were not far behind. A wide smile on his face, Ushijima pushed the fingers of his other hand through another gap in the fence, and it didn't take long for them to rush over and greet five more wiggling new friends.

It was even more difficult than last time to will himself to leave, but Ushijima sighed and pulled his fingers out. "I'll see you guys later," he crooned through the gap, and they replied with a peal of high-pitched yips and budding claws scratching against the wood.

The next day was more of the same, but before he even diverted to his property, he noticed his new furry acquaintances out once again and went straight over to the fence. Suna was the first to notice his presence and bounded across the small yard on short, clumsy legs.

"Hey there." Ushijima scrunched his brow and forced his hand through the fence a little further, and soon, he had an entire hand available to ruffle Suna's ears and scratch at her downy belly. "So you're a girl," he observed when he noticed the pertinent parts. "Hello there, Suna-chan."

Suna writhed happily in the grass as her siblings came over to greet Ushijima. Through a bit of investigating, he determined Choko was also female and that Kuro was male. He worked his other hand through the fence, as well, and found himself laughing as the puppies played with him like he was the only person in the world.

The vibration of his phone in his pocket startled Ushijima, and he pulled back his left hand to answer it. Or, at least, that's what he tried to do. "This is bad," he muttered to himself, and when he tried to pull out his right hand, he was yet again unsuccessful. Humming his indolence, he gave a wry chuckle while the puppies frolicked around his hands, unaware of his plight, and his phone continued to buzz unanswered.

Ushijima vaguely heard the squeak of hinges nearby, but he didn’t acknowledge it until a shadow fell over his hunched over form.

“Uh, what the hell are you doing to my fence?” Ushijima’s back bolted ramrod straight, and he looked up at his looming visitor. His brows shot up in surprise, and so did the other guy’s. “Ushiwaka?”

Iwaizumi Hajime was someone he hadn’t seen in years, but Ushijima recognized him right away. He never forgot a rival. “Iwaizumi.” He gave a cursory tug, just to make sure he was really stuck and frowned when his distress was reaffirmed. “This is not what it looks like.”

Snorting, Iwaizumi squatted down to eye Ushijima’s hands where they were uncomfortably lodged in the spaces in the fence. “Dude, I know you are not this stupid, but I gotta ask: why in the actual hell did you cram your hands into a friggin fence in someone else’s yard?”

Ushijima opened his mouth to negate the allegations, but the evidence was in front of both of them and indisputable. His shoulders drooped in resignation. “The puppies,” he mumbled.

“Huh?” Iwaizumi leaned in closer, brow knit as he keened in to hear Ushijima’s words.

Huffing out a heavy breath, Ushijima directed his gaze toward the fence, where the pups were still rowdily vying for his affection. “I saw the puppies and I wanted to pet them. Then I got stuck.”

“Uh huh.” Iwaizumi gaped at where Ushijima’s hands were wedged into the fence and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He glanced once again at Ushijima’s predicament, and almost immediately, his entire body was racked with laughter. He dropped to a seat on the sidewalk and leaned against the fence, and Ushijima could spy a hint of tears in the corner of his eyes as he wheezed in amusement. “Oh — oh my god, wait until I tell Oikawa.”

Ushijima made a face he refused to classify as a pout. “I would appreciate it if you didn’t do that.”

Iwaizumi’s face rumpled as he attempted to swallow his laughter, but one last glance at Ushijima’s hands made him double over for a fresh gale of mirth. Once he finally caught his breath, Iwaizumi dashed tears from his face and leaned over Ushijima’s arms to inspect the damage. “Dude, how did you even get your hands in there in the first place? A child probably couldn’t fit more than a few fingers through there.”

“I was . . . invested.” On cue, Suna gave a happy little bark and slurped at Ushijima’s hand. His expression softened. “She says hello to me every day. I try to do the same.” He scratched under her chin and a smile tugged at his lips. “Good girl.”

Iwaizumi rubbed his temples and chuckled. “I can’t believe this is happening right now.”

“Yes, it’s very amusing,” Ushijima grumbled. He couldn’t take his eyes off of where his wrists were lodged in the fence, and he gave one last desperate ploy for freedom that came up empty. Swallowing hard, he sighed and said, “I could use some assistance.”

White teeth flashed in a wide grin. “Yeah, yeah. Let me get a crowbar or something.” Iwaizumi disappeared, and a few minutes later returned with a claw hammer. “Yeah, this is all I could find. My mom doesn’t exactly keep a lot of tools around.” He harrumphed and rolled his eyes. “Well, unless you count my lazy ass bio-dad, but at least if a hammer doesn’t work, you can throw it out instead of letting it live on your couch and eat all your food.”

Ushijima’s eyes widened, and Iwaizumi winced. “Yeah, I don’t know why I said that.” He shook his head and set his attention on prying back the boards of the fence. Soon, enough nails were pulled back for Ushijima to wrest his right hand free, and Iwaizumi proceeded to do the same on the other side.

At last, Ushijima was fully liberated and rubbing at his raw wrists. He was startled when Iwaizumi pulled his hand over to inspect it. “You’re bleeding. Come on.” Without waiting for a response, Iwaizumi dragged Ushijima’s surprised bulk behind him toward the house and into a small but serviceable kitchen.

The walls were littered with pictures, with the primary subjects being Iwaizumi in varying stages of growth and a younger boy who looked a lot like him, who Ushijima assumed to be Iwaizumi’s brother. Oikawa made a few appearances, as well, and everyone was smiling. All in all, it looked like someplace where one would find a happy household.

Iwaizumi herded Ushijima into a chair at the table. “Back in a sec.” He breezed out of the room, leaving Ushijima blinking at the rapid escalation of their already surprising interaction. However, there was not much time to dwell on it as Iwaizumi returned in short order with a storage tote full of home medical supplies. Everything from bandages to finger splints lurked in its depths.

“You’re . . . prepared.” Ushijima poked his head over the top of the crate to examine more of its contents. “Is someone in the house disaster prone?”

Dribbling some iodine on a cotton ball, Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed in concentration as he muttered, “Nope. Just one of the side effects of growing up with Oikawa.”

Ushijima’s brows knit. “What, did he spend his childhood brawling with brambles?”

A rich peal of laughter spurted from Iwaizumi. “Nah, that was me. Oikawa just ‘tried’ himself through more band-aids than you can shake a stick at.”

“He is the type,” Ushijima agreed, visuals of a youthful Iwaizumi and Oikawa coming home covered in scratches and bruises and grins, and it made him smile to himself. “I didn’t realize you and Oikawa were such good friends. You two probably had a lot of fun together.” He directed his gaze toward the wall of pictures. “It looks like it, at any rate.”

Iwaizumi dabbled the iodine onto the scrapes on Ushijima’s wrist, drawing a hiss. “Just normal stuff.” He held up Ushijima’s arm and blew on the iodine, bringing instant relief from the lingering burn of it soaking into the wound. “What, you never jackassed around with your friends when you were a kid?”

Long dormant memories of long afternoons in the backyard of his family’s home burst into the forefront of his thoughts, his sole companions his father, his puppy and a volleyball, and then just the dog and the ball after his father went away. Nothing resembling the photos documenting Iwaizumi’s well-spent youth adorned the walls of his mother’s house.

“It wasn’t in the cards,” he replied. The idea of sharing the rest of it stirred something startlingly close to shame. “I spent most of my time at home.”

Hands freezing over Ushijima’s skin, Iwaizumi gave him a searching look. “You had a dog, didn’t you?”

Ushijima’s eyes widened. “How did you know?”

“Not hard to tell.” Iwaizumi glanced up at Ushijima with a wry smile. “Anyone dumb enough to get his hands stuck in a fence just to pet a dog is obviously a dog person.”

A smile tugged at the corner of Ushijima’s mouth. “I’m not sure how I’m supposed to take that.”

“Like someone who just has to ask next time he wants to pet my pups.” Giving Ushijima’s skin one last puff of breath, Iwaizumi released Ushijima’s hand and headed for the refrigerator. He returned with two bottles: one of tea and the other of water. “Pick your poison.”

Ushijima took the water, and Iwaizumi harrumphed. “Figures.” He turned around a chair and sat across from Ushijima. “So, I know you don’t live on this side of town. What brings you over this way?”

“How do you know where I live?”

Iwaizumi flushed and looked away before chugging half the bottle of tea in one swig. “Uh, yeah. When we were thirteen, Oikawa was convinced you lived in a crypt for you to be so cold and hostile.” He raised his hands in surrender. “His words, not mine. Anyway, we might have, um, followed you home once just to I could rub it in his face that you were just a normal dude.”

Though he wanted to laugh, Ushijima merely shivered. “He wasn’t entirely wrong. It was a rather cold place.” He looked down to examine a bruised fingertip where he had missed with a hammer. “That’s why I’m on this side of town. I inherited my father’s old house and I’ve been trying to fix it up. I don’t want to —” Ushijima trailed the finger along his reddened wrists. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this. You don’t even like me.”

“I —” Iwaizumi sighed. “Look, I’m not going to pretend I liked you when you were wiping the floor with our hopes and dreams and shit like that, but we’re not kids anymore and I’d rather know you for who you are and not who we wanted you to be.”

Ushijima searched Iwaizumi’s face for any sort of subterfuge, but as he had done for as long as they’d been acquainted, Iwaizumi’s feelings were earnest and on display. “Thank you. I seem to have misjudged you, as well.” He crossed his arms on the table and leaned closer. “So, your offer to see the little ones, is that still good?”

Iwaizumi gave him a crooked grin. “Hell yeah, it is.” He cocked his head toward the door leading to the yard. “Let’s go.”

In the backyard, Iwaizumi let out a high-pitched whistle, and three familiar furballs barreled toward the house. Ushijima knelt in the grass, and Suna made a beeline for him and jumped up at his thigh to get to his hand. He ruffled her ears and laughed as she tipped over into the grass, wriggling happily when his fingers scratched at the downy fur on her belly.

“She really likes you.” Iwaizumi had his own hands full of Kuro as he squatted next to Ushijima, and Choko did laps back and forth between them. “So, what’s your dog like?”

Ushijima’s hands stilled, and Suna looked up at him in question. “He, um, passed away this past winter. He was having trouble moving around because of his arthritis, and he just —” He bit his lip to ward off the swell of emotion in his throat. “He was tired.”

Iwaizumi picked up Kuro and perched him over his shoulder. “That sucks, man. And here I’ve got puppies coming out of my ears. I can’t keep all of them, so I couldn’t even bear giving them names yet.”

“Then I’ll just keep calling her Suna-chan,” Ushijima said with a bob of the head. At the sound of her makeshift name, Suna yipped and licked his chin. “I think she agrees.”

“Yeah.” Iwaizumi’s gaze drifted off and he went quiet for a while before he set Kuro down and sighed. “Hey, um, I don’t know if it’s something you’re looking to do, but do you want to keep her?” He reached out and scratched between Suna’s ears. “I’d hate to see one of these guys go to a bad home, and I know she won’t have a bad one with you.”

“High praise indeed.” Ushijima held up Suna and looked into her large brown eyes. “So what do you say, Suna-chan? Do you want to come home with me someday?”

She replied with a bark, her tongue hanging out as she looked at him, and Ushijima’s entire chest tingled with affection. He hugged her to him and kissed the top of her head. “I’d like that, too.”

Iwaizumi pushed to his feet and tossed a nearby tennis ball across the yard, and Choko and Kuro sped after it. “So, um, you say you’re fixing a house? Is it that one a few doors down that looks like it’s left over from the seventies?”

“That’s it. Nobody’s lived in it since about 1990.” Ushijima released Suna to play with her siblings and shrugged. “It’s cheaper to fix it than have it rebuilt. Besides,” Ushijima added with a harrumph, “I like it the way it is. Except for the broken stuff, but I’m working on that.”

“That’s cool as hell, man. Good luck.” Iwaizumi held out his hand, and Ushijima accepted the gesture. “You know, it’s been pretty nice getting to know you for real. I never thought you’d be so, um —” His face scrunched as he searched for the correct word. “I don’t know . . . normal?”

Ushijima chuckled. “I guess I always was a little weird. Tendou always told me so, and he knows me better than anybody.” His hand dropped, and he bit his lip in thought as an idea came to him. “I’m not exactly experienced at home improvement projects. I wouldn’t mind an extra set of eyes.”

Iwaizumi gave him a brisk nod. “Sure. I’m usually the one who fixes stuff around here, so I might have some ideas if you’re looking for them.”

Making sure the dogs were safely enclosed in the yard, they walked half the block down to Ushijima’s work-in-progress. Iwaizumi stopped short and gave a low whistle. “You fixed the roof already?”

Ushijima hummed. “It was the first thing I did. Then I spent the next day changing out the insulation and then the ruined ceiling tiles. Yesterday, I ripped up the old tatami mats and hunted down squeaky floorboards.”

“Dude, I thought you said you didn’t know what you were doing.” Iwaizumi wandered through the doorway to drag his fingers along the woodwork around the windows. “I always thought this house was probably nice underneath. I even wondered when I was a kid if I could find who owned it and live here someday because it seemed like such a waste for it to sit like this.”

“I thought the same when I saw it,” Ushijima agreed. “I assumed my father sold it when he left the country. I didn't expect to see it again.”

Iwaizumi gave him a pinched look. “Your dad lives out of the country? Where?”

“I don't know,” Ushijima admitted. “I haven't seen him since I was seven, and it's been years since we've talked on the phone.” He slumped against the door jamb and shrugged. “It’s not important.”

Gawking at Ushijima, Iwaizumi said, “The hell it isn't. My dad is a piece of work. I had to grow up way before I was ready because someone had to get my brother to school and make sure stuff got done around the house while my mom was busting her ass to support us." He glowered off into the distance at some memory lingering in his head. "Parents are important, especially if they're not there."

Ushijima didn't know what to say, with every word popping into his head crass and ridiculous even to his own graceless social radar. Instead, he settled on a lame mumble of, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, so am I." With that, Iwaizumi changed the subject by scouting out the mid-size ladder Ushijima had purchased and clambered up to stare at the bulbless light fixture above them. "This looks like it's still in good shape, but have you checked the wiring?" He wiped the dust off his hands onto his jeans and added, "Don't want the place to burn down after putting in all this work."

Nodding, Ushijima said, "I have an electrician scheduled to come in a few days. I thought it best to leave that to an expert."

"Good idea." Iwaizumi dismounted the ladder and returned it to its little corner. "Your work looks really good, man. Are you sure you've never done this before?"

"It's just math, common sense, and steady hands," Ushijima said with a noncommittal grunt. "I would like to think I have all three."

Iwaizumi looked at him and smirked. "I'm not saying a damn thing."

"Hey!" Ushijima protested, but he said it through a smile. "Thank you, by the way." He took a deep breath and leaned against the doorway leading to the bathroom. "For the company. It's been lonely since I've been out of school."

With a smile of his own, Iwaizumi answered, "Hey, no problem. And you know there are three fluffy shitheads who will always be happy to see you if you wanna come over. Actually," He pulled out his phone and punched a few buttons before mumbling, "gimme your number. I'll send you mine, and you can let me know when you're taking lunch break. I'll bring something over."

Ushijima's brow raised, even as his mouth milled out the numbers on their own. "You don't have to do that."

"I know, but I want to, okay?" Iwaizumi keyed in the number and wandered over to Ushijima's side, picking up his hand and re-inspecting the raw patches of skin on his wrists. "Yeah, you should be all right. I'll see you in a while." He left Ushijima with a soft fist to the bicep and waved over his shoulder as he left the house.

Alone and startled by what had just occurred, Ushijima stared after Iwaizumi's long-gone silhouette and wondered when they had shifted so quickly from rivals to something so much different. If he hadn't known better, he could have sworn they were —

Friends.

That odd concept lingered in his brain as he went about his business, making a shopping list and having to key everything in twice or more because his mind was too preoccupied for his fingers to work properly.

He had just finished unpacking the delivery of his recent purchases when he decided to take Iwaizumi up on his offer for lunch. He fired off a quick text and was surprised when Iwaizumi showed up with a shopping bag packed full of things barely fifteen minutes later. "'Bout time, dude. I thought you were going to skip lunch or something."

Ushijima's eyes widened as he watched Iwaizumi unpack their bounty. Grilled tofu, onigiri, tempura vegetables with beef, and a huge jug of what he thought was homemade iced green tea. "I'm sorry you went through so much trouble," he murmured, even as he sat down opposite Iwaizumi and felt his stomach growl in anticipation.

"No trouble," Iwaizumi dismissed with a flip of the hand. "I've been cooking since I was seven. This is just normal stuff I make all the time." He harrumphed and produced a duo of plastic tumblers, filling them with tea. "It was actually all I had on hand. It's shopping day and I've been putting it off for a while."

"I'll go with you if you want," Ushijima said, his own surprise at the offer mirroring Iwaizumi's. "I may not be much of a cook, but I can follow a list."

Iwaizumi opened his mouth, Ushijima presumed in order to refuse, but he chortled and shrugged. "What the hell, why not?"

They finished their meal in what Ushijima thought to be a companionable silence, with the only break in their quiet an occasional request to pass this or that. It gave Ushijima time to mull over this rapidly changing dynamic between them. Iwaizumi had been so cordial and inviting, and he wondered how he had missed the telltale signs that his old high school opponent had always been that way.

He recalled Iwaizumi's constant supervision of Oikawa's health and support for their mutual teammates, the way he had a kind and encouraging word for his kouhai as needed no matter how badly they had messed up a play, and the sheer will to succeed that oozed out of every pore as he played volleyball and did everything else in his life.

Ushijima wasn't sure if he could admit it out loud yet, but he admired all of these things and perhaps even envied those qualities in Iwaizumi.

The trip to the store was as banal as it had sounded, but Ushijima appreciated Iwaizumi's industriousness. His list was arranged by aisle and section, and they were in and out in less than twenty minutes. With a bag slung over each shoulder, Ushijima watched Iwaizumi out of the corner of his eye, who was humming a mindless tune and bobbing his head in time with it.

He redirected his gaze, wondering when he had started noticing things like that in anyone, let alone someone he barely knew. Yet it served as a reminder that Iwaizumi was not nearly as common or weak as Ushijima's stupid eighteen year old self had professed him to be.

After the groceries were stowed and the dishes washed from lunch, Ushijima was surprised to find Iwaizumi following him back to his house. "Did I forget something?"

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "I'm helping you, genius. You went shopping with me, so I'm gonna return the favor."

"You don't have to do that," Ushijima said, but when Iwaizumi opened his mouth to rebut, he quickly added, "but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"Good." Iwaizumi waited for Ushijima to unlock the door. "Truthfully, it's kind of nice to get out of the house and, you know —" He sighed wearily. "— just be around someone who doesn't want or need anything from me."

Ushijima nodded. "I understand. I hope my company is better than it would have been a few years ago."

"You weren't that —"

"Yes, I was," Ushijima interrupted. "I regret a lot of things I said when I thought I had all the answers to everything. I was . . . unkind about you, and I know now how misguided those feelings were. I apologize."

Iwaizumi gaped at him, blinking absently as he absorbed Ushijima's impromptu show of contrition. Finally, he said, "Yeah, well same to you. Now pass me a hammer."

Glad the matter was properly settled, Ushijima did just that and they set to work, the projects flying by far more quickly with an extra set of hands in the mix. By the end of the day, even with a few trips back to Iwaizumi’s house to feed the little ones, they were three days ahead of Ushijima’s previous solo schedule.

Physically spent but pleasantly so, Ushijima took Iwaizumi up on his offer for another home-cooked meal. He didn’t doubt his mother’s housekeeper had made something, but there was something alluring about experiencing something such as a family gathering around for a meal one of them actually made by their own hands with love.

Well, Ushijima supposed it was made with love; he wouldn’t know.

Ushijima watched in fascination as Iwaizumi buzzed around the kitchen, rock music blaring from the cheap stereo on the counter while he sang along under his breath. Iwaizumi’s hand were by no means as skilled as one of the chefs on the cooking shows Ushijima’s grandmother consumed on the regular, but they were steady and practiced just like they had been earlier with a hammer and a circular saw.

Iwaizumi’s brother, twelve year old Ryouta, was the first to return home. Ushijima’s eyes widened as he noted the telltale purple and white club jacket slung over his shoulder under a heavily laden baseball bag. Iwaizumi caught him staring and chuckled. “Yeah, man, I am aware of the irony.”

A smile teasing his lips, Ushijima nodded as Iwaizumi introduced the two of them and went back to cooking. “Shiratorizawa High School has a great baseball program, so you’ll probably get a recommendation right out of middle school if you’re good.”

Ryouta hummed as he pulled a tea from the refrigerator and downed half of it in one drink. “Yeah, that’s what Hajime says.” His eyes narrowed as he looked Ushijima over carefully. “Hey, Hajime, isn’t this the dude you wanted to punch in the face?”

A wooden spoon banged loudly on the side of a pot, and Iwaizumi sputtered. “Shut up, Ryou!” he muttered, every facet of his face that Ushijima could see beet red.

“Yes, I probably am,” Ushijima supplied with a chortle, and Iwaizumi’s cheeks got even rosier. “Just keep in mind that everyone is stupid when they’re in high school. Things change a lot; we change a lot.”

With a harrumph, Ryou chimed, “Yeah, Hajime says that too. Mostly when Tooru-nii talks about dates he never got in school because all the girls in his year figured he was — what did you call it? — volleyball sexual.”

“Ryou!”

Iwaizumi’s admonishment was nearly drowned out by Ushijima’s peal of laughter. “That sounds like Oikawa.” He huffed and rolled his eyes. “Was that really only two years ago?”

“Not long enough,” Iwaizumi murmured to himself as he reached over to turn up the stereo, sufficiently drowning out any further outbursts from Ryouta.

Ryouta returned to the refrigerator with two fresh teas, and he passed one to Ushijima. “So, you went to Shiratorizawa?”

“I did.” Ushijima accepted the drink with a nod. “All through middle school and high school. It was a great place, and I think you’ll enjoy it. It will give you a great opportunity to be noticed by scouts when you’re of age, and an education to match it.”

Eyes perused Ushijima quietly for a long, tense while before Ryouta blurted, “You talk weird. You sound like some rich guy.”

The gauche but apt comment made Ushijima chuckle. “Well, I suppose I am. My family is prone to a certain measure of social obligation, but it’s really not something I care to do myself. I’d rather just do something that makes me happy.”

“Like what?” Ryouta leaned in closer to await the answer.

Ushijima saw Iwaizumi’s shoulders tense and his fingers tighten around the handle of his spatula, and he realized he probably needed to steer the conversation away from awkward topics. “Like going on a run every morning with my dog. I miss that very much.”

Ryouta sighed. “If I could go to college on a dog-petting scholarship, I’d probably die a happy man.”

“Agreed.” Ushijima stood. “On that subject, would you care to join me in the backyard for some hands-on experience?”

“Yeah.” Ryouta followed Ushijima out to pet and frolic and play with the shiba inu pups, chattering on about anything and everything all the while. He couldn’t help but note the similarities between Ryouta and his brother on top of even more pronounced differences. While they were both athletes and bonded to a unique form of candor, Iwaizumi carried a lot of weight Ryouta didn’t seem to have or even be aware of.

_It's kind of nice to get out of the house and just be around someone who doesn't want or need anything from me._

Soon, Iwaizumi summoned them back inside for their meal, featuring stir-fried vegetables and some of the pork they had purchased earlier. The kitchen was quickly filled with the sounds of inane chatter about their respective days that Ushijima couldn’t ever remember being a regular part of his own home. When he boarded in high school, he had been forcefully launched into the practice, but not without some painfully awkward adjustment that Tendou had teased him about.

After dinner was over, Ryouta headed upstairs to work on his homework, leaving Ushijima alone with Iwaizumi once again. “The meal was excellent, thank you,” Ushijima said, moving toward the sink where Ryouta had deposited the used dishes before dismissing himself. “I’ll wash up.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Iwaizumi said, his hand coming up to lace around Ushijima’s bicep, halting his progress. “You’re my guest. You sit down and relax, and I’ll do that.”

Ushijima shook his head. “I really don’t think that’s fair. You’ve fed me twice today, put in hours of labor for a house that isn’t even yours, and gave me a dog. The least I could do is wash some dishes.”

Iwaizumi started to argue but his jaw snapped shut and he sighed. “Yeah, I guess. I’m just not used to people doing stuff like that for me. Ryou needs to worry about school and baseball, and Mom works until midnight four days a week.”

Perusing the sink area, Ushijima spied a sponge and a bottle of soap, and he assumed those were the correct tools for the job and got started. Iwaizumi put together a plate of the leftovers and wrapped it up for later.

The unfamiliar chore was surprisingly relaxing for Ushijima, and halfway through he found himself humming as he worked through it. He wasn’t aware that Iwaizumi was staring at him until he toweled off his hands and nearly ran into his host. “Is something wrong?”

“I guess I never figured you’d have a nice voice.” Iwaizumi leaned his hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “Also, you’re doing pretty good for a guy who looked like he’d never stepped in front of a sink before.”

“It’s not something I’m used to. My mother hires people to do things like that.” Ushijima colored and ducked his head. “I realize what that sounded like after I said it.”

Iwaizumi shrugged. “Nah, you’re cool. Knowing you’re just a rich kid, a lot more things about you make sense. I still don’t know how you even get how power tools work.”

Ushijima leaned against the counter next to Iwaizumi. “Math. Luck. YouTube.”

Laughing, Iwaizumi’s white teeth gleamed bright against his bronzed skin. “You’re something else, Ushijima. God help me, I think I actually like it.”

His words jarred Ushijima. Only a few days ago, he could not have fathomed the concept of seeking Iwaizumi Hajime’s approval of him, but he had it now and enjoyed the merry tingle nestling in his chest because of it.

Pushing away from the counter, Iwaizumi looked out the window at the rapidly setting sun and sighed. “It’s getting late. If you need to get home, now’s the best time to do it. This isn’t exactly a bad neighborhood, but it doesn’t get safer at night.”

“Right.” Ushijima watched Iwaizumi go into the backyard and whistle for the dogs, and they all came barreling into the kitchen. Suna bound over to Ushijima directly, pawing at the leg of his jeans and wagging her tail like crazy. He squatted and ruffled her ears. “I’ll see you soon, Suna-chan. Be good now.” He stood and raised an eyebrow. “Can I come back tomorrow?”

Iwaizumi clapped Ushijima on the shoulder and harrumphed. “Of course. Suna-chan would never forgive either of us if you didn’t. She already loves you.” His smile slipped. “Yeah, I have to pick their mom up from the vet tomorrow, or I’d come help you some more. Once these guys were weaned, we sent her in to get fixed. No more surprise puppies, you know?” He shivered. “She had a bad reaction to the anesthesia and had to stay for a few days to make sure she was okay.”

“That’s terrible,” Ushijima murmured, squelching the urge to shudder himself as he recalled the last time he had set foot in a veterinarian’s office, where he had bid goodbye to his first and best childhood friend. “I’ll definitely stop by to see her. She’ll hate the cone. A lot.”

This brought the smile back to Iwaizumi’s face. “I forgot about that. I suppose you’re right.”

It took more willpower than he cared to admit for Ushijima to drag himself away from the Iwaizumi residence, both because of the tiny dog pawing at the screen door at his retreating figure and because of the man in the doorway peering after him, as well.


	2. Chapter 2

The next couple of weeks were a mix of pleasure and frustration for Ushijima. He got to see Suna and her siblings multiple times a day, ate lunch with Iwaizumi, and met the puppies’ mother, Yuzuki, who was the same light shade of brown as Suna. He also felt every drop of silence shrouding his work despite the hammer falls, and he smashed more than one finger because his mind was somewhere else.

After a while, Iwaizumi noticed the battered state of Ushijima’s fingers. While laying out a spread of sandwiches for lunch, he snatched Ushijima’s right hand and scowled at it. “You’re banging on the wrong nails.” His gaze locked onto the middle finger, which was marred by a nail that was more black than not. “Have you been icing this at all? That has to hurt like a bitch.”

Ushijima grunted and eased his hand away. “When I get home. I have work to do.”

“No. Now.” Iwaizumi shot him an angry glare before he fished ice from their pitcher of tea and dropped it into a plastic sandwich bag. In a quick motion, he whisked off his t-shirt and swaddled the bag, pressing the bundle to Ushijima’s bruised fingers.

The effect was almost immediate, the heat throbbing beneath his skin dying down to a dull roar, and he groaned in relief. He didn’t fight Iwaizumi’s efforts to touch all of his aching fingers with the ice pack.

“You don’t seem the type to miss this many times,” Iwaizumi murmured, leaning in once again to inspect Ushijima’s right middle finger more closely. “You’re usually so damn good at everything. What, did your beginner’s luck start to wear off?”

Ushijima averted his eyes. “I was not . . . always paying enough attention to what I was doing. It was careless, and I apologize.”

Iwaizumi gave him a questioning look. “I’m your friend, not your babysitter. I’d rather you worry about yourself than what I think.”

His eyes widening, Ushijima allowed that single word to soak into his brain: _friend_. It had passed through Iwaizumi’s lips so freely, yet it had not crossed Ushijima’s mind to presume they were. Maybe because it had been a while since he had made a new one.

“I’ll remember that,” he murmured, unable to drag his attention away from Iwaizumi’s emphatic expression. A corner of Ushijima’s mouth quirked upward. “And thank you.”

Iwaizumi flicked him in the forehead. “You can thank me by not doing stupid stuff before you give me a friggin heart attack, all right?”

“All right.”

With a huff, Iwaizumi slumped down on the floor and dug through the bag he had brought. “Dude, I need to stop doing that. You’re a grown man and you can do what you want. I just —” He gave Ushijima a wry look. “Sometimes I worry about you, man.”

“Me? Why?” Ushijima moved his fingers around the ice pack, furiously scrambling in his head to identify the logic in Iwaizumi’s words. “I don’t understand.”

Iwaizumi smiled and gripped Ushijima’s shoulder. “Yeah, I didnt think you would. We come from different worlds. You have housekeepers to do dishes and stuff, but does anyone, like, make your favorite food for no reason just because you like it? Who do you talk to when you’re lonely or bored? When you get home, who asks you how your day was and will actually listen to you if it was bad?”

“I —” Something sour in Ushijima’s stomach curdled, because he knew the answers and had not realized how much that knowledge would eat at him. He looked away. “That’s a bit of an overreaction, don’t you think?”

“No, I don’t,” Iwaizumi answered, busying himself with pouring their drinks. “But you’ll get it eventually. I know you will.”

The rest of the meal passed in a static silence, and Ushijima didn’t fight Iwaizumi’s chiding glare when he tried to clean up. When it was all packed up, Iwaizumi stood and looked around. “Go back to the house and keep an eye on Yuzuki. Keep your hands elevated, and it’ll help the swelling go down.”

“But —”

“But nothing.” Iwaizumi picked up Ushijima’s tool belt and strapped it on himself. “I know you have stuff to do, but you need to take care of yourself. I’ll work on what I can and if your fingers look better tomorrow, you can pick up where you left off.”

Ushijima blinked in surprise. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I thought we went over this.” Iwaizumi herded Ushijima toward the door. “I know I don’t. I want to, and sometimes you need someone to do stuff for you for the hell of it. Now move.”

Nonplussed, Ushijima did as he was bid, and he found himself sitting in Iwaizumi’s living room. Yuzuki was sprawled on his lap relishing being freshly free of her protective cone, the puppies snoozed at his feet, and the television remote was in his hand, flicking through channels. It had been years since he had sat down and watched tv for more than a few minutes at a time, with his days usually monopolized by a mixture of schoolwork and volleyball.

It only took about an hour of inactivity for Ushijima’s skin to itch with discontent. He let the pups out and hooked Yuzuki to her leash, and they meandered slowly to his house and to the cacophony of hammering and rock music blaring from a phone.

Ushijima looped Yuzuki’s leash against the porch railing and knocked on the door before pushing it open. His eyes widened when he walked in to Iwaizumi sitting one of the wooden beams in the ceiling, shirtless while he scrubbed the dingy glass in the skylights. He opened his mouth to call out but thought better of it, lest he startle Iwaizumi into grievous injury.

However, Iwaizumi noticed him first and nodded in acknowledgement, discarding his towel on the much more illuminated floor. He hugged the beam and swung down to hang from it before dropping himself on the floor, as well. “You’re supposed to be taking it easy.”

“Nothing is wrong with my feet,” Ushijima answered with a quirk of his brow. He tried to glue his gaze solely on Iwaizumi’s face, which was covered in a fine sheen of sweat, but he couldn’t help but take in the lean ridges of muscle on Iwaizumi’s torso. He had known Iwaizumi was no slouch in the strength department after facing him for so many years on the volleyball court, but he had not realized there was that much tightly corded power hidden underneath that opposing jersey.

Iwaizumi snapped Ushijima out of his musings by an elbow to his side. “It’s boring, sitting around doing nothing, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Ushijima hissed through clenched teeth. “Yuzuki-chan is out on the porch. We went for a walk.”

Grinning, Iwaizumi headed out to ruffle Yuzuki’s ears, and Ushijima inspected the house’s progress. He whistled in appreciation as he noticed that Iwaizumi had washed almost all of the skylights, making the series of drop lights placed around the entire house almost completely unnecessary.

Iwaizumi returned and looked up at his handiwork. “Yeah, I figured it would be a lot easier to do stuff if the skylights were clean. There’s only a few more left to do, and it’ll light up most of the house. A lot of these older house styles used natural lighting a lot because electricity used to be a lot more expensive.”

Ushijima nodded at the sense in Iwaizumi’s words. “I didn’t know you had a flair for architecture.”

“Seijou had a beginner’s course for it as an elective.” Iwaizumi moved over to run his hand down one of the finely hewn support beams. “It was a lot of fun. I’m glad I did it.”

Observing Iwaizumi admire the details in the woodwork, something tingled in Ushijima’s belly at the sight. Most people he had told about the house either had or would have suggested that he have it knocked down and rebuilt, but Iwaizumi’s reaffirmation of his decision was more important to him than he would care to admit.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come back to the house?” Ushijima gave the door a pointed glance. “When you go back to college, you won’t get to spend much time with your dogs. They’ll miss you and you’ll miss them.”

Iwaizumi’s eyes narrowed as he observed Ushijima for a long, quiet minute. “Oh,” he murmured, and his head lowered. “I can’t believe I didn’t see it before. Dude, don’t do that to yourself.”

“Do what?” Ushijima’s brows knit in puzzlement.

“Think that if you’d been home more, your dog wouldn’t have passed away.”

Ushijima gaped at Iwaizumi, reeling back a step or two in surprise. He had never so much as considered uttering those words to anyone, something he had been forced to exorcise from his mind for months. Yet someone who had probably hated him a month ago could see it written all over him.

Iwaizumi sighed and slumped against a beam, dropping his head back against the wood with his arms crossed. “I should mind my own business, but you know how it is.”

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

Quirking a brow, Iwaizumi chortled. “God you are something else.” He closed his eyes and let a smile linger on his lips. “I care about you, genius.”

His jaw dropping slowly, Ushijima blinked as his eyes fixed on anything but the steady rise and fall of Iwaizumi’s chest. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything.” Iwaizumi popped one eye open and chuckled. “You should see your face right now.”

“I would but it’s stuck there,” Ushijima blurted before he could stop himself.

Iwaizumi doubled over choking on laughter. The sound coaxed a smile from Ushijima, and the tension he hadn’t noticed coiling in his shoulders melted away.

“I’ll tell you what,” Iwaizumi said as he snatched his shirt from atop the toolbox and put it back on. “You finish your walk with Yuzu-chan and head back to the house, and when I finish cleaning the skylights, I’ll head back and we can hang out without sweating today.”

Ushijima nodded and headed for the door. He paused at the door with his hand on the knob, and over his shoulder, he murmured, “I’d like that.”

Once outside, Ushijima and Yuzuki meandered for a short while before heading back. A half hour later, Iwaizumi returned whistling a tune Ushijima only vaguely recognized. He found Ushijima sitting on the floor at the kotatsu, his lap covered in a pile of snoozing puppies while his left hand absently stroked Yuzuki’s fur as she curled into his side.

Perching himself on the couch close by, Iwaizumi slumped into the plush upholstery and groaned. “It’s been a while since I’ve done that much climbing. The whole place looks so much different, though. It’s like it’s —”

A memory from earlier surfaced in Ushijima’s head, of Iwaizumi admiring the glow of the caramel-colored wood gleaming in the sunshine — vital and vivid and striking. “Alive,” he breathed.

“Yeah.” Iwaizumi leaned forward, unaware of Ushijima’s thoughts. “Man, I’m glad you decided not to knock the place down. It’s going to be beautiful when you’re done.”

Iwaizumi’s hand slid over to rest on Ushijima’s shoulders. Ushijima looked up at him, and there was a warm smile on Iwaizumi’s lips. “Agreed.”

Their eyes met, and the weight of Iwaizumi’s hand on Ushijima’s shoulder grew more pronounced every second. Not because of gravity or force, but because Ushijima slowly became unable to think about anything else. Neither screwdrivers nor skylights could eclipse the feeling.

The spell was broken when Yuzuki leapt up into Iwaizumi’s lap to lick his face. Iwaizumi chuckled and ruffled her fur. “Hey, girl. I missed you, but we can’t have you getting knocked up every time Ryou forgets to close the gate.”

“You didn’t breed her?” Ushijima’s brows knit in thought. “The little ones look purebred, though.”

Iwaizumi harrumphed. “Nah, nature did that. She just happened to take a liking to the neighbors’ dog across the street. They have a black shiba, which is why the pups are all different colors.”

Ushijima listened while Iwaizumi chattered on about his dog’s adventures in heeding the calls of nature, offering up stories of his own to match. Neither of them marked the passage of time until their conversation was disrupted by the sound of Ryouta in the genkan announcing his return from school.

Ryouta’s head popped into the living room. “Hey, Hajime, what’s for dinner?”

“Either a date with the microwave or whatever we can get delivered,” Iwaizumi answered, easing back into the soft recesses of the couch. “I really don’t feel like getting up.”

“I’ll order dinner,” Ushijima offered. “It’s the least I can do.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts to the folder marked Takeout. His eyes lighted on his favorite place to order from and raised a brow. “Anything in particular you’re in the mood for?”

Ushijima dutifully remembered each request and ordered, and the three of them gathered around the kotatsu surrounded by excited puppies to share their meal. Ryouta sprawled on the couch with Choko and Kuro curled onto his chest, and Suna sat in Ushijima’s lap while Yuzuki was draped on Iwaizumi.

“Oh, man, I haven’t eaten that much in a while.” Iwaizumi yawned. “Good food always makes me sleepy.” He picked up a carton from the kotatsu and looked inside it, frowning at the lone gyoza resting in the bottom. “I want to eat that just to say I finished, but I’m pretty sure I won’t eat for a week after this. I’m so friggin full.”

Humming in agreement, Ushijima snagged the dumpling with his chopsticks and popped it into his mouth. After he swallowed the very last bite he was sure he could muster himself, he said, “Problem solved.”

Iwaizumi sent a pointed glance over at the styrofoam bowl of pork ramen. “That’s good and all, but nobody’s even touched that.”

“That’s for your mother when she gets home.” Ushijima started gathering up the graveyard of paper cartons and bundled up the trash in the takeout bag. “You usually leave her leftovers, so it was only sensible to do the same.”

From the couch, Ryouta snorted. “Relax, Ushijima-san. He already likes you.”

Iwaizumi’s hand swung at lightning speed and slapped Ryouta’s thigh with a loud _crack_. Ryouta laughed even as he groaned at the sting, and Ushijima couldn’t fight off a smile. The easy camaraderie of brotherhood reminded him greatly of the learning curve he had experienced in the Shiratorizawa dormitories. His personal space was invaded frequently, and it was a welcome change from the distant frigidity of his family home after his father had left.

Eyes trained on anything but Ushijima, Iwaizumi’s cheeks were red and his lower lip thrust out in a pout. Ushijima thought it a bit of an overreaction to Ryouta’s comment, but he supposed nobody enjoyed being teased, even someone with Iwaizumi’s level of fortitude. A thought wandered into his head, and before he could corral it, he blurted, “Would you care to go for a walk? It’s a nice night.”

Though Iwaizumi started at the invitation, he rose nonetheless and gave a quick nod of acquiescence. Ushijima led the way to the front door and to the sidewalk at the edge of the path of stepping stones in the yard, with Iwaizumi lingering just behind his shoulder.

Ushijima halted and turned. “You seemed embarrassed.”

“I, uh —” Iwaizumi growled under his breath and threw his head back, eyes closed. “It’s complicated.”

Ushijima hummed and leaned against the front gate post. “I may be out of line saying this, but I’ve found that some things are only complicated if we make them complicated.”

Iwaizumi huffed. “Yeah, that sounds good in theory, but it’s not that easy.” He shot Ushijima a wry smile. “Not all of us are uncomplicated. It must be nice.”

Unsure how to answer, Ushijima crossed his arms and shrugged. “Maybe I can help?”

“Yeah, you don’t wanna know.” Iwaizumi let out a shuddering breath and scrubbed his face roughly with his hands. “I wish I didn’t even know.”

“Try me.” Ushijima dutifully averted his gaze to give Iwaizumi time to collect his thoughts in peace, but when nothing came, he turned to find Iwaizumi looking at him intently. “Did I say something wrong? I do that sometimes.”

Blinking, Iwaizumi shook his head and hugged his arms to his chest. “No, you didn’t. I just —” He sighed. “Goddamnit. I’m just gonna say it.

“You ever have, like, a girlfriend or something?”

The question soaked into Ushijima’s ears, but he couldn’t fathom where that question had come from. “What?”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “Girlfriend. Person you like and then date. Hold hands with sometimes. You know. Girlfriend.”

“No,” Ushijima answered quietly, still turning the question over in his mind for answers of his own. “It never seemed important and I’ve been busy.” He watched Iwaizumi drink in the words and look away, and Ushijima knew in the pit of his stomach that his next words would be important. “And you?”

With a humorless chuckle, Iwaizumi started walking and Ushijima followed. “Nah. I had my reasons. Schoolwork. Volleyball. Home stuff.” He paused. “Lack of interest.”

“Oh?”

They were almost in front of Ushijima’s house before Iwaizumi stopped short and stared blankly down the street. “Lack of interest in _girls_. I, uh, don’t know how to say this delicately, so I’m gonna say it.” He wheeled around, fingers flexing into fists and jaw tensed. “I’m into guys, all right? I like hanging out with you, and I need to know we’re cool.”

Ushijima observed the anxious play of muscles on Iwaizumi’s face as he ground his teeth waiting for an answer. On his best days, Ushijima was oblivious to the nuances of others’ feelings, but he wasn’t blind to the plea oozing from the man standing in front of him. He didn’t know what he was supposed to say, but he knew what Iwaizumi wanted, _needed_ to hear — honesty.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Ushijima stated, and it was true.

Iwaizumi’s shoulders sagged as he sighed heavily. “Oh god that was nuts. I know I said that in the most dumbass way possible, but I’m glad you know and I don’t have to think about it anymore.”

Nodding, Ushijima rested a hand on Iwaizumi’s shoulder. “I understand why you were . . . concerned. My grandfather would call you ‘one of _those_ ’. My mother would wonder when you’d grow out of it.” He harrumphed and flexed his left hand at his side, a lingering reminder of being deemed an unwanted aberration. “I assure you I do not. I prefer not to judge people for who they are. It only matters what they do with it.”

Iwaizumi’s hand slid up to cover Ushijima’s. “That, uh, means a lot, man.”

They stood there quietly for a few peaceful minutes before resuming their stroll through the neighborhood, walking a little closer together than they had before. Iwaizumi filled the sunset with stories about his brother and college and growing up with Oikawa. He never pressed Ushijima for any information about his childhood, but one thing was certainly clear.

Maybe not that day, but someday, Ushijima wanted to share that with someone he trusted. And he trusted the warmth and strength emanating from the man next to him.

  


The next week flew by in a flurry of grunt work and lazy meals in Iwaizumi’s backyard surrounded by frolicking dogs, with Yuzuki fully recovered from her surgery minus a small bald patch on her belly. Every night when he left the Iwaizumi residence to call it a day, Ushijima found it harder and harder to leave Suna behind.

With Iwaizumi’s help, a bulk of the renovations required to make the house livable were complete with a few days to spare. With the power and plumbing all fully operational, Ushijima could finally host a meal in his own abode. It was a Saturday night dinner, and all the Iwaizumis were invited, as well as the newest member of Ushijima’s impromptu new family — a freshly collared Suna, who was happily lapping at her brand new water dish.

Rino, Iwaizumi’s mother, came into the house with Ryouta in tow, jaw hanging open as she took in the work Ushijima and her son had spent so much effort to restore. “Ushijima-kun, this is a beautiful house. You must be so proud.”

“Thank you, Iwaizumi-san.” Ushijima ran his hand down the trim boards that he had varnished himself a few days before. “I enjoyed the work.” A smile tugged at his lips. “And the company.”

Iwaizumi grabbed Ushijima’s arm and nodded toward the freshly refurbished kitchen. “Hey, uh, I could use a hand. Dinner’s almost done.”

“Of course.” Ushijima gestured toward the brand new couch and said, “Please, make yourselves comfortable.”

In the kitchen, Ushijima dutifully did as he was told, stirring vegetables around in a skillet while Iwaizumi transferred the delicious-looking array of dishes onto serving plates. Soon, the table was set and the meal commenced, the din of chatter and laughter filling the room so unfamiliar yet very welcome to Ushijima.

Iwaizumi’s cooking was always good, but the quality of it was definitely elevated for this evening. Or perhaps Ushijima was just biased because the main dish was a favorite of his. He didn’t know how Iwaizumi had found out what his favorite dish was, but Ushijima had learned in the past few weeks never to second guess Iwaizumi’s determination or resourcefulness. It had been his know-how and sharpness that had landed him the best contractors at the lowest prices.

There had been something Ushijima couldn’t describe simmering in his chest as he watched Iwaizumi flit around the kitchen they had remodeled together, and it lingered as he had watched Iwaizumi smile and laugh at the table while passing a dish or pouring more tea. Or when Iwaizumi’s attention had been riveted on Ushijima as he took his first taste of the hayashi rice he had surprised Ushijima with.

And it was something he would do well to forget, because in a week, they both had to return to college for the start of the new semester. If they did see one another, it would only be in passing or for a quick bite to eat over homework.

When the meal ended, they retired to the living room and the large sectional couch Iwaizumi had helped him pick out. Suna jumped into Ushijima’s lap, and Iwaizumi sat down next to him to ruffle her ears. “It’s like home already,” Iwaizumi remarked, glancing around the more or less finished room. “This was a lot of fun to work on.”

“Thank you for helping me,” Ushijima said, not for the first time and probably not for the last. “It’s been . . . enlightening.”

Rino quirked a brow while she settled on the opposite side of the brand new kotatsu. “Interesting choice of words, Ushijima-kun.”

Ushijima hummed. “But true. I’ve learned a lot about a lot of things. Not just about restoring a home.” His eyes strayed to Iwaizumi, who was watching him with a strange look. “I’ve learned quite a bit about making one, too.”

Iwaizumi bumped his shoulder into Ushijima’s. “Nah, man, you had it in you. Just a little out of practice.”

“Indeed.” Ushijima observed Iwaizumi’s lingering smile and easy demeanor and marveled at how he had managed to earn his ex-rival’s friendship and trust. It wasn’t something he had sought, but after having it in his grasp, he was loath to part with it. “Thank you.”

Cheeks turning a merry shade of pink, Iwaizumi averted his gaze but Ushijima noticed the way he bit back some sort of emotion he couldn’t identify. He looked to Rino and Ryouta to see if he could glean the reaction from theirs, but the two of them shared a cryptic look and Ushijima was sure an entire conversation had just happened without a single word spoken.

But then Iwaizumi slapped his thighs and stood. “Well, uh, I’m going to clean up.”

Ushijima followed suit. “Please, you’re my guest. I can do that.”

“Nah, it’s cool.” Iwaizumi didn’t break stride as he made a beeline for the kitchen. “I’m not used to sitting still. It’s weird.”

When the door closed behind him, Ushijima’s brows knit and his lips pursed. “Have I done something wrong?”

“What? No, why?” Iwaizumi shoved his armload of dishes into the sink and turned his attention solely on Ushijima. “Why would you say that? I thought everyone had fun.”

His mouth hanging open to answer, Ushijima snapped his jaw shut and frowned as he searched for the words. Finally, he blurted. “You acted uncomfortable when I thanked you for your help. If I stepped over a line, please tell me. I have no wish to upset you.”

Iwaizumi blanched and reeled back a step until he bumped into the counter. “Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. You didn’t upset me, I promise. I just —” He leaned back against the counter and threw his head back, a wry chuckle escaping him. “I can’t believe I’m actually going to say this out loud.”

“Say what?” Ushijima gazed blankly at Iwaizumi, completely bereft of insight into the direction this conversation was developing. “I have to admit, I’m at a loss as to what is happening here.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Iwaizumi closed his eyes and murmured, “I don’t wanna make things weird for us, but I already did it, so here goes.” He rolled his shoulders and met Ushijima’s gaze, oozing uncertainty that contrasted with everything Ushijima knew about him. “I reacted the way I did because I like you.”

“All right.” Ushijima frowned as he mulled over the words. Iwaizumi had established some time ago that they were friends, yet saying it aloud garnered this kind of reticence. That thought made something itch uncomfortably in his gut. “Are you unhappy with our friendship?”

Iwaizumi’s eyes bulged as he coughed roughly on his breath. His voice rough, he wheezed, “No, goddamnit, I am _not_ unhappy. I don't think you understand what I'm saying.”

“I'm afraid I agree.” He settled in one of the chairs at the kitchen table and stared across the room at the washing machine, unable to make himself look at Iwaizumi lest that gnawing sense in his gut proved to be true despite Iwaizumi’s protestations.

The idea of Iwaizumi disliking him didn't sit well, but the idea of the person he'd spent more time with in the past month being dishonest about their cordial relationship rankled. “If that is true, you don't have to lie to me. I'm not a child.”

Ushijima could hear Iwaizumi bang his head on the refrigerator door in frustration. “This whole conversation is a tire fire. How do I even —” He barked out a short,  humorless laugh. “You know what? Fuck it.”

Iwaizumi pushed away from the fridge and slowly moved toward Ushijima. He traced the pads of his fingers down the curve of Ushijima’s jaw, a smile lingering on his lips.

His breath burned in his chest, and Ushijima couldn't look away as Iwaizumi slowly, lightly pressed their mouths together. Skin tingling from the contact, Ushijima’s eyes closed and he let the unfamiliar but welcome wave of sensations trickle through his every nerve.

“Like I said, I like you.” Their lips still only a hair’s breadth apart, Iwaizumi murmured, “I’ve been dropping hints for days, but I don’t think you caught on.”

“Apparently not.” Ushijima’s throat was dry, his voice raspy. He reached up and wrapped his hand around Iwaizumi’s wrist, and he could feel the rapid thrash of a racing pulse beneath his fingertips. His own heart quickening its pace, his hand slid up to cover Iwaizumi’s with his own and lace their fingers together against Ushijima’s cheek. “I think I understand now.”

Iwaizumi let out a rattled breath but didn’t look away for even a moment. “And?”

Ushijima reached up to smooth his fingers down Iwaizumi’s cheek, his nerves marveling at the lively warmth radiating from the sun-bronzed skin and rich brown eyes. In the span of a few short weeks, Iwaizumi had insinuated himself into every aspect of Ushijima’s day. They shared meals and work and stories, and somewhere along the line had crossed the threshold of friendship into something closer and more vital.

His heart pounding like he had just run ten kilometers at full tilt, Ushijima lanced his fingers into Iwaizumi’s soft, short hair and pulled him close for an encore.

The tingle of lips on his made Ushijima groan into the kiss, his grasp on Iwaizumi’s hand tightening as they listed toward one another. Noses bumped while they both sought purchase, but they were thrown much closer when Suna propelled her entire weight against Iwaizumi’s ankles and sent him sprawling into Ushijima’s lap.

They looked at each other, and Ushijima’s belly lurched when Iwaizumi threw back his head and laughed. Iwaizumi slid to his feet and picked up Suna, hefting her up against his chest and kissing her forehead. “You picked a good papa, little girl.”

Ushijima stood as well and stroked the fur around Suna’s ear, something warm and radiant stirring in his chest when she tilted her head into his hand. “I didn’t think I would ever want another dog. He was my best friend. How could I replace him?”

As if sensing his thoughts, Suna looked up at him, panting happily. Ushijima smiled and swallowed past a lump in his throat. “But she is different. I love her, but differently. Does that make sense?”

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and hummed. “Perfectly.” He placed Suna back on the floor and turned his attention back on Ushijima. “It’s one of the reasons I like you. You can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals. Especially small ones who can’t defend themselves.”

“Thank you,” Ushijima said with a nod, the words high praise in his opinion. Quickly, however, his mood sobered. “So, when did you realize how you felt?”

A dusting of pink bloomed on Iwaizumi’s cheeks. “Actually, it was, uh, when you ordered ramen for my mom.” He reached out to take Ushijima’s hand in his. “But it definitely started the day I found you stuck in the fence. There’s something attractive about you being as uncool as possible.”

Ushijima chuckled. “I’m not sure how to take that.”

Iwaizumi let out a shuddering breath. “You can take it as I’m really nervous, and I can’t stop talking because I know when I do, we’re going to get to the part where you tell me you’re not interested in me that way and I get to be more embarrassed than I’ve ever been in my life.”

“I see.” Ushijima looked down at their linked hands and worried his bottom lip with his teeth in thought. “I have to admit, the idea had never occurred to me.” He ran his thumb over the back of Iwaizumi’s knuckles, which were just as battered and scratched as Ushijima’s after weeks of manual labor.

These were the hands that had given over so much and had asked for nothing in return. They had wielded hammers and drills and roof tiles, as well as leashes and spatulas yet were never out of their depth. They were also the hands that had brushed over his cheek like he was something, someone who was . . .

Ushijima struggled to put a word to it, the feeling so unfamiliar, until the right one settled itself into the forefront of his thoughts: loved.

Love was in everything Iwaizumi did. The way he cooked for his family, talked about growing up with Oikawa, accepted happy slobbering kisses from his flock of dogs — they were all acts of love on Iwaizumi’s part for those who mattered to him most.

And the same man had helped him restore an entire house in his precious free time and had given him the gift of companionship, both himself and the dog Ushijima thought he could never have again. All of it had been freely given, enthusiastically.

Something hot and bright flared in Ushijima’s chest. Unable to draw a full breath around it, he framed Iwaizumi’s face in his hands and crushed their lips together once again with an urgency that surprised even himself.

Iwaizumi’s hands roughly gripped Ushijima’s shoulders, and they reeled back against the counter, the edge of it digging into Ushijima’s lower back. Their mouths clumsily moved against each other, Iwaizumi’s enthusiastic hands spidering up Ushijima’s chest while emanating a guttural growl.

Their lips tore apart, and Iwaizumi buried his face in the hollow of Ushijima’s shoulder. “I can’t believe this is really happening,” he panted, drawling kisses along the column of Ushijima’s neck. “I was never going to say anything. This was kind of an accident.”

“A happy one,” Ushijima hummed, lolling his head to the side to give Iwaizumi better access for his explorations. He closed his eyes and groaned. “It’s been very good to know you better.”

Iwaizumi laughed against Ushijima’s skin. “I can’t tell if you’re flirting or writing my eulogy.”

Ushijima relished the feel of Iwaizumi’s skin against his and sighed. “I’m not good at this type of thing, but I’m more than willing to learn.”

Eyes wide, Iwaizumi gaped up at Ushijima, mouth opening and closing as words died before coming to fruition. Finally, he managed, “But we’ll barely see each other. Are you sure that’s something you want to commit to?”

“Yes, it is.” Ushijima smoothed the lines of worry from Iwaizumi’s brow with his thumb. “Anything worth doing is worth working for. Also,” He feathered a kiss onto Iwaizumi’s forehead. “I live down the street. I’ll see you more than anyone.”

A wide grin broke out on Iwaizumi’s face, his eyes crinkling at the corners in a way that made Ushijima’s stomach twist with itself around a feeling he couldn’t identify but definitely welcomed. “My mother didn’t like the idea of me living here at first, but once I told her I have another dog, she was more than willing to let me keep my usual monthly allowance as long as I never brought her home. She never did like animals.”

“Totally can’t relate, but I’ll take it.” With a sigh, he backed away from Ushijima and toward the sink. “I’ll start the dishes.”

“I’ll send the leftovers home with you. Your mother seemed to enjoy the pork, so she might like it in her lunch tomorrow at work.”

Iwaizumi closed his eyes and shivered. “God, why is it so attractive when you’re all nice and stuff? It’s hard to think.”

Ushijima wrapped his arms around Iwaizumi’s waist and nuzzled the back of his neck. “I know the feeling.”

Leaning back against Ushijima's chest, Iwaizumi murmured, “I never told Oikawa about you getting stuck in my fence, but I hope I get to tell him about this before we all go back to school.”

“Of course.” Ushijima tightened his grasp around Iwaizumi’s middle. “Shall we have him over for dinner on Saturday? Let Suna-chan win him over since I probably never will.”

He felt Iwaizumi chortle before he heard it. “That's not a half bad idea. He’s about half sold on Choko-chan anyway. I keep telling he has a personality only a dog could love. For some stupid reason, he thinks I'm wrong.”

Ushijima didn't bother to stifle his laugh, leaning into the first member of his newfound family while Suna flitted about around their feet.

  


**_Epilogue_ **

 

Suna bounded next to Ushijima as fast as her short legs would allow, but she kept pace with him throughout his daily ten kilometer run. He did stop every couple of kilometers to give her rest and water, but after a few weeks of regular running, the frequency of these breaks in pace declined as she grew stronger and more impatient to press on.

The sun had barely started to creep over the eastern horizon, with the crisp Pacific breeze bringing a clean, briny fragrance to Sendai before the din of thousands of cars could force it out.

It was easily Ushijima’s favorite time of day, both because of the peaceful atmosphere and due to the fact that it was the one time of day he got to see Iwaizumi for sure. He started his run at five every morning just so he could be showered and dressed in time to have breakfast with his boyfriend.

The term still held a measure of novelty to Ushijima.

Some days, they met at Iwaizumi’s house before traveling to their respective bus stops; others, they would wake up tangled up in one another. These were the days Ushijima liked best, the few times he would allow his routine to slip and forgo his morning run in favor of lingering in bed a little while longer.

The night before had been one of those times, and Ushijima had unapologetically arrived at his first class twenty minutes late. His professor had readily accepted the half-truth of missing his bus.

That thought brought a smile to his lips as he headed back to his own street where Iwaizumi would be waiting for him.

The house empty save for Iwaizumi, as well as Yuzuki and Kuro, Ushijima headed straight into the kitchen with Suna in tow.

“Hey, girl,” Iwaizumi cooed, accepting Suna’s enthusiastic greeting after setting a pair of plates on the table. “It’s good to see you, too.”

“She’s growing faster every day,” Ushijima remarked while washing his hands. “In a few weeks, she’ll probably make it the full ten without stopping.”

Iwaizumi briskly ruffled Suna’s fur. “And here I thought I was the only one who could still keep up with you. Suna-chan will keep me on my toes.”

Iwaizumi stood, and Ushijima snaked his arms around Iwaizumi’s middle from behind, feathering a kiss to the taut column of his neck. “Good morning.”

Groaning, Iwaizumi leaned into Ushijima’s touch. “You’re gonna be late again.”

“I can live with it.” Even as the words left his mouth, however, Ushijima reluctantly relinquished his hold on Iwaizumi. “But two days in a row is probably overdoing it.”

“Unfortunately.”

They shared their usual meal until it was time for Ushijima to depart, the commute to his university longer than Iwaizumi’s. He called for Suna, who wagged her tail while being releashed, and gave Iwaizumi a tight smile. “I have to go.”

“I know.” Iwaizumi sighed. “You don’t have practice tomorrow morning, right?” When Ushijima nodded in the affirmative, Iwaizumi grinned. “Yeah, I don’t either. You wanna, uh, fool around a little tonight?”

The prospect of the offer made Ushijima shiver in anticipation. “I look forward to it.”

“So do I.” Iwaizumi pecked a kiss to Ushijima’s lips. “Good luck with your physics exam. Better you than me.”

Ushijima coaxed a deeper kiss from Iwaizumi before he replied, “I’ll see you tonight.”

They parted ways, but even as he walked away from what would arguably be the brightest part of his day, Ushijima’s step was light because no matter where he went, he would always come home to the two most important parts of his life. That prospect could brighten any day, and Ushijima wouldn’t forget it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that's it...a little later than anticipated but hopefully worth it. I hope you enjoyed reading this sappy little tale.


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